Sheathing system



Dec. 8, 1964 J. DE LILLO SHEATHING SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June22, 196 2 INVENTOR. J5 5 H Dal/a0 Dec. 8, 1964 J. DE o 3,159,978

SHEATHING SYSTEM Filed June 22, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I T INVENTOR.Jase/ H 05 1/110 Dec. 8, 1964 J. DE LILLO SHEATHING SYSTEM 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 22, 1962 INVENTOR. Lise/w fled/4L0 Dec. 8,1964 J. DE LILLO SHEATHING SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 22, 1962Ill a 5L3. E1.

Dec. 8, 1964 J. DE LlLLO 3,159,973

SHEATHING SYSTEM Filed June 22, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I'll/III v I i 44HI INVENTOR. Hi I] I Jo'sEPH 050m) II I. In BY 7 United States Patent[and 3,159,973 SHEATHING SYSTEM .Ioseph De Lille, 3 E'uiton Place,Jericho, Long island, N3. Fiied June 22, 1952, Ser. No. 294,451tllairns. (Cl. 61-4 1) This invention relates to a shoring system forthe side walls of a trench. The invention is an improvement on thesuspended earth-shoring device of my application for United StatesPatent, Serial No. 32,290, filed May 27, 1960.

In said application, I have disclosed a trench shoring system comprisinga pair of cross beams adapted to extend across the mouth of a trench,and longitudinal bridging members for suspending telescopic sheathingunits in contiguous order along the face of trench walls. In general,the system of my earlier application has proven satisfactory in use.However, in said system, the bridging members are fixed to the crossbeams by means of bolts. This construction introduces. into the system acertain inflexibility in that it cannot be accommodated to trenches ofvarying width without drilling additional holes through the crossbeamsto permit the bridging members to be attached at diiier ent locationsalongthe length of the cross beams. Moreover, the act of bolting thebridging members to the crossbeams can become tedious and timeconsuming.

I have discovered that the bridging members need not be bolted to thecross beams, and that they can be freely associated with the crossbeamsif provision is made to anchor them in a selected position and maintainproper spacing between them.

Accordingly, this invention in its more specific aspect relates to animproved assembly of cross'beams and bridging members in a sheathingsystem.

The invention provides a bridging member support in the form of a saddlewhich includes a sleeve adapted to embrace a cross beam in slidingrelation. This permits easy, selective adjustment of the bridging membersupport along the length of the crossbeam, whereby the system can beaccommodated to the width of the trench to be dug.

It is a further object of the inveniton to provide: a bridging membersupport which will hold a pair of bridging rails in properly spacedposition without resort to bolts or other fastening means. To this end,the bridging member supports include a pair of spaced'dependingplatforms adapted to receive and freely support a pair of bridging beamsso that the bridging members are fully accessible throughout theirlength.

A still further object of the invention is to efiect improvements incross-bracing structures for the shoring walls. Specifically, it is thepurpose hereof to provide a separable assembly of internal bracingstructures which is more easily installed and removed during a trenchingoperation.

My improved bracing assembly includes one or more suspended carrierbeams which are adapted to be held in contact with opposite shoringwalls by means of crossbraces which are clamped to the carrier beams. Bythis 'means the mere substitution of cross-braces will accommodate thecross-bracing assembly to trenches of different width;

These and other objectives. and advantages "of the: in

vention willbe explained and become apparent froma numerals indicatelikeparts; and in which FIG. 1 is a plan view system; I V r v of theimproved trench shoring spaced relation-bythe retaining plates-46.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view taken on line 2.2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 1;

able for removing the section from a completed trench;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a bridging member support;

FIG. 11 is an end elevational view of the bridging memher support ofFIG. 10, showing the same in association with a cross beam and abridging beam; and 7 FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the structureshown in FIG. 11.

The improved shoring .unit, in brief, comprises a pair of spaced crossbeams 10 and 12 adapted to extend across the mouth of a trench with theopposite ends thereof extending substantially beyond the opposite sidesof the trench to provide support for the suspension of sheathingelements. A pair of bridging members 14 and l extend between thecrossbearns it) and 12; The bridg ing members 14 and 16 are supported atopposite sides of the trench by pairs of bridging member supports orsaddles 18-21 and 22-24. The bridging member supports are mounted on thecross beams 10 and 12 for selective adjustment along the length thereof.A plurality. of Vertically telescoping sheathing elements 26 adapted Ifor gravitational elongation into the trench as the same becomes deeperare suspended from the bridging members 14 and 16 in confrontingrelationship to the side walls of the trench. The sheathing elements areprovided at one end with means for releasably engaging the bridgingmembers, adapting the sheathing elements for suspension from thebridging members in contiguous order along the side walls of the trench.A generally rectangular bracing structure 28 adapted to engage the innerfaces of the telescopic shoring walls within the trench is suspendedfrom the bridging members 14 and 16.

The bridging member supports are shown in greatest detail in FIGS. 10through 12. 'Since these supports are identical in structure, "adescription of one will suflice. FIG. 10 shows that the bridging membersupportis in the nature of a saddle having a sleeve 30 adapted toembrace a cross beam. This sleeve adapts the bridging member support forselectiveadjustment along the length of a cross beam since the sleeve 39permits the structure to slide along the length of the beam. Extendingupwardly through the sleeve 30 are apair of thumb screws 32 and 34 whichcan be tightened against the bottom flange of the cross beam when thebridging member support has been properly crossbeam. V v

Depending from the sleeve 3a? are a pair-of l s h aped hangers 36 and38. Each hanger consists of aleg 49 which is a downward extension of thesleeve-3Q, anda hanger foot 42. The hangers '36 and 38 are spaced fromeach other to provide an entrance 44 for the elements comprising thebridging rnembersyas to'be explained" in greater detail later herein;Extending upwardlyfrom the I foot- '42 of the hangers is a retainingplate dgfiAs su'ggested heretoforejthe'bridging member supports areadapted to receive opposite ends of the bridging members; Q.

\ As shown in FIG. 12; each bridging member-is made upof. a pairofbridging beams 48 56 a' hi'chare'held on the bridgingmernb er supportsand maiiita Fatented Dec. 8, 1964 located along the length ofthe,

through 8. As shown in FIG. 5, each of the elements is made up of aplurality of telescopic sections. Three such sections 52, 54 and 56 areshown in the present embodirnent. Each section consists of an elongatedtubular member of rectangular cross-section. The section 52, which isthe outer section of the assembly has a front 'wall 58, a rear Wall 60and side walls 62 and 64. Extensions of the front wall 58 and the rearwall 60 are turned outwardly to form a pair of flanges 66 and 68 whichare adapted to rest on the bridging beams 48 and 50, thereby suspendingthe section from its supporting structure.

The section 54 of the sheathing element is similar to the section 52,being sufiiciently smaller however, to slide freely within the section52. The section 54 has a front wall 70, a rear wall 72 and a pair ofside Walls 74 and 76.

The third section 56 is similar to the sections 52 and 54 with theexception that the section 56 is sufliciently smaller than the section54 to slide freely within the latter. Thesection 56 consists of a frontwall 78, a rear wall 80 and side 'walls 82 and 84.

Each of the sheathing element sections cooperates with the one nestedwithin it to avoid separation of the sections as they are fullyelongated. Thus, the section 52 has an inwardly extending shoulder 86formed at the lower edge of its rear wall 60. This shoulder is adaptedto engage a flange 88 formed in the upper edge of the rear wall '72 ofthe section 54. By the sarnetoken, the section 54 has an inwardlyextending shoulder W formed in the bottom edge 'of its rear wall whichis adapted to engage an outwardly formed lip 92 in the upper edge of therear wall of the section 56.

Fromthe foregoing, it can be seen that interengagement of the respectivelips and shoulders, as shown in FIG. 5, will prevent separation of theseveral sections in the direction of their elongation. At the same time,however, separation of the sections in the opposite direction isunimpeded.

As the trench becomes deeper and the sections of the sheathing elementselongate, it is necessary to provide transverse bracing means betweenthe elongated walls at opposite faces of the trench. To this end thereis provided the generally rectangular bracing structure 28. ;Thisstructure comprises a pair oflongitudinal carrier beams 96 and 98 and aplurality of cross-braces 100 and 102. 'In the preferred form of thebracing structure, the crossbraces 100 and 102 are separable,facilitating the installation and removal of the bracing system.

Each installation will ordinarily employ two bracing structures,such'asZS and 28a in FIG. 2. In the preferred form of the invention, thebracing structures are suspended from the bridging members by means ofchains.

or steel-rope 104 and 106; the suspending ropes being attached to thecarrier beams.

As stated'above, the cross-braces 100 and 102 carry clamping structures108 and 110 (FIG. 2) at opposite ends thereof by which they can beseparably fixed to the i carrier beams. As best shown in FIG. 4, thisclamping a flange of the carrierbeam. The Web 1180f. the crossbraceisperforated near each end of the bface to accomas the clampingstructure embraces the "carrier, beam flange. In" this position, thethumb nut-1225s screwed onto the free end of the bolt 129 to hold theclamp plates i li t and 116 in engagement with both the carrier beamand'the cross-brace.

FIG. 4 also illustrates a preferred means for attaching the suspensionropes. This figure shows the rope 164 attached to the carrier beam 6 bymeans of ahook 124 fixed to the end of the rope 104. The hook 124 isdesigned to engage an eye-bolt 126 which is screwed into the web of thecarrier beam. When two bracing structures, such as 28 and 28a of FIG. 2,are employed the second structure 28a may be suitably suspended'from thebracing structure 28 by means of chains or steel ropes supported fromthe opposite ends of the carrier beams S 6 and 98, two such ropes 128and 139 are shown in FIG. 2. By reference to FIG. 4, it can be seen thatthis latter suspension is also preferably achieved by a hook 132 fixedto the rope 128 and an eye-bolt 134 screwed into the web of the carrierbeam 96.

In order to fully present the nature of the system herein, it may beappropriate to consider a hypothetical trenching operation, usingapproximate dimensions by way of illustration but not at all by way oflimitation. Storm sewers, for example, are constructed of conduitsections which may be 4 to 6 feet in diameter, requiring a trench 8 feetin width, for example. It sometimes becomes necessary to install suchsewers at a depth of 16 to 18 feet. For an operation of this nature, thecrossbeams 1t and 12 are conveniently 6 inch steel I-beams 20 to 22 feetin length. Such crossbeams will permit extensions thereof up to 6 feetbeyond opposite sides of the trench mouth thereby affording a firmsupport for the entire structure. The bridging members 14 and 16 mayeach be composed of a pair of 4 inch steel l-beams. In such case, thegap 44 between the retaining plates 46 of the hangers 36 and 38 shouldbe approximately 4%. to 5 inches. The bridging members 14 and 16 arepreferably in the neighborhood of 20 feet in length.

The several sections 52, 54 and 56 of the sheathing elements aresuitably formed of sheet metal, preferably sheet steel /8 inch inthickness. The upper sections 52 of the sheathing elements are suitablyabout 6 feet in length, with'an internal width of 1. foot and a depth ofabout 4 inches. The flanges 66 and 68 at the upper end of the sections52 are preferably 2 to 3 inches in width to afford firm engagement withthe bridging member beams 48. and 50. The second sections 54 of thesheathing elements are approximately 5% feet in length and have anexternal width of about 11 /3 inches and a depth of not substantiallymore than 3% inches. Finally, the third sections 56 can be madeapproximately 5 feet in length with an external width of about 11%inches and a depth of not substantiallymore than 2% inches. Withsheathing elements of approximately the foregoing dimensions, it ispossible to perform a safe trenching operation to a depth of 16 tol8feet.

In a trenching operation such as referred to, the trench is first dug toa depth of about 5 feet. The trench will be approximately 10 feet acrossthe mouth. At this point, the crossbeams 10 and 12 are positioned acrossthe mouth of the trench so that the opposite ends thereof are securelyseated on the surface. The crossbeams are spaced along the length of thetrench as far as the bridging members 14. and 16 will permit, while yetproviding firm modate a bolt which is passed through the clarnp plate 3.114, through the web 118 and through the clamp plate 112' support forthe bridging members within the. bridging member supporting saddles.Before placing the crossbeams 10 and 12, the supportingv saddles 18 and20, etc. are slipped on -to thecrossbeams and after the crossbeamsbridging beams 48 and Eiiare assembled with their sup-.

porting saddles such' that opposite ends thereof rest on a hanger foot42. The first sections 52 of the telescopic sheathing f'e'lernents arenowinserted from above such" that-their flanges 66 and 68 rest on top ofthe bridging beams 48 and 50. Asshown in EIG. 3, the elements areinserted such that they are in edge-to-edge contact with each otherforming a substantially solid wall in confronting relation to the wallof the trench.

The second sheathing element sections 54 are now dropped into the firstsections from above and the excavation continues. At this point, as thesecond sheathing element sections begin to drop below the lower end ofthe first sections, the carrier beams 96 and 98 are lowered and thecross-braces 100 and 102 are put into place thereby affording internalsupport to the opposite sheathing walls thus erected. As the secondsheathing element sections 54 elongate with the deepening of the trench,the third sheathing element sections 56 are inserted from above inreadiness for completion of the trench. Upon final elongation of thesecond sections 54, the bracing structure 28a is lowered and put intoplace by an operation corresponding to that described in respect to thebracing structure 28.

When the trench has been dug to its intended depth, the lower sections56 of the sheathing elements will have dropped beyond the sections 54and the conduit 136 is lowered andplaced into position, and eventuallythe back filling operation can be started. The sheathing walls arewithdrawn, section-by-section, as the back filling operation proceeds.Withdrawal of the several sheathing sections is easily accomplished by agrapple device attached to a crane cable. A suitable device for thispurpose is shown in FIG. 9, wherein a grapple 138 comprises aparallelogram structure composed of a pair of gripping elements 14%) and142 connected by parallel pivot links 144 and 146. As the crane lowersthe grapple mechanism into the sheathing section, it will be collapsedas shown in the dot and dash lines. However, when the grapple is pulledupwardly it will expand so that the gripping elements 149 and 142 willengage opposite inner walls of the section with sufficient firmness topermit withdrawal of the section upon continued operation of the cranecable.

The foregoing constitutes a description of a single shoring unit. It iscontemplated that a number of such units be employed on any particulartrenching operation. Since an eflicient trenching operation is acontinuous one, the sheathing unit taken out of operation as soon as theback filling operation permits, is advanced beyond the unit or unitscurrently serving their intended purpose. By this practice, thetrenching work can proceed without interruption.

From the foregoing it can be seen that the invention provides for thecomplete safety of personnel in the trench at every stage of itsconstruction and that the equipment is completely adaptable for use inthe shoring of trench walls no matter what size the trench may be withinwide limits.

While the novel features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed in connection with a specific embodiment of the invention, itis believed that this embodiment will enable others skilled in the artto apply the principles of the invention in forms departing from theexemplary embodiment herein, and such departures are contemplated by theclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for shoring the side walls of a trench comprising a pair ofcross beams adapted to extend across the mouth of a trench at spacedpoints therealong with the opposite ends of said beams extendingsubstantially beyond the opposite sides of the trench to provide supportfor the suspension of shoring elements within the trench,

I a pair of bridgingmember supports mounted on each of said cross beamsfor selective adjustment along the length thereof into a positionadjacent the walls of a trench, each said bridging member support havinga tubular portion embracing its respective cross beam in slidingrelation and a depending support surface adapted to receive and supportan end of a bridging member, a bridging member supported at its ends onsaid depending supporting surface of a pair of bridging member supportsalong each wall of a trench, a plurality of vertically telescopingsheathing sections adapted for gravitational elongation into the trenchas the same becomes deeper, said sections comprising shoring Wallsadapted for suspension from said bridging members in confrontingrelationship to the side Walls of the trench, and means at one end ofsaid telescoping sections releasably engaging their respective bridgingmembers for suspending said sections in contiguous order along the sidewalls of the trench.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which said supporting surface of saidbridging member supports is composed of a pair of spaced supportingfaces, said bridging members comprise a bridging beam on eachsupportingface, and said telescopic sheathing sections are suspendedbetween adjacent pairs of said bridging beams.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which said supporting surface ofsaidbridging member supports is composed, of a pair of spaced supportingfaces having a gap therebetween for inserting elements of said bridgingmembers, and said bridging members comprise a pair of bridging beamsinsertable through said gap into engagement with said spaced supportingfaces.

4. The structure of claim 1, in which said supporting surface of saidbridging member supports is composed of a pair of spaced normallyhorizontally disposed supporting faces having a gap therebetween forinserting elements of said bridging members, and said gap is defined bya pair of stop flanges extending upwardly from said supporting faces. 7

5. The structure of claim 1, in which said tubular portion of saidbridging member supports carries means releasably engaging said crossbeams for selectively clamping said bridging member supports to saidcross beams.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS387,476 Whitc-omb Aug. 7, 1888 1,432,905 Reilly Oct. 24, 1922 1,935,704Fields NOV. 21, 1933 1,949,691 Nehr et a1 Mar. 6, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS355,599 Switzerland Aug. 31, 1961

1. A DEVICE FOR SHORING THE SIDE WALLS OF A TRENCH COMPRISING A PAIR OFCROSS BEAMS ADAPTED TO EXTEND ACROSS THE MOUTH OF A TRENCH AT SPACEDPOINTS THEREALONG WITH THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BEAMS EXTENDINGSUBSTANTIALLY BEYOND THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE TRENCH TO PROVIDE SUPPORTFOR THE SUSPENSION OF SHORING ELEMENTS WITHIN THE TRENCH, A PAIR OFBRIDGING MEMBER SUPPORTS MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID CROSS BEAMS FORSELECTIVE ADJUSTMENT ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF INTO A POSITION ADJACENTTHE WALLS OF A TRENCH, EACH SAID BRIDGING MEMBER SUPPORT HAVING ATUBULAR PORTION EMBRACING ITS RESPECTIVE CROSS BEAM IN SLIDING RELATIONAND A DEPENDING SUPPORT SURFACE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT AN END OFA BRIDGING MEMBER, A